‘Be What’s Next’: New Microsoft slogan (and branding?)

Microsoft these days is often seen as a follower, rather than a cutting-edge leader, in the high-tech world. The software juggernaut is struggling to attain a public image that, like Apple and Google, it is cool.

Nothing a new marketing slogan can’t fix, right?

Today at the Microsoft Global Experience (MGX) conference in Atlanta for its marketing and sales employees, the company showed off a new logo set and catchphrase: “Be What’s Next.” The short clip showed different logos for Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Bing and Office.

Spokesman Lou Gellos confirmed that “Be What’s Next” is indeed Microsoft’s new tagline. He said the logos are not new product logos, but are “directional examples” the company wanted to show the 10,000 or so employees in Atlanta.

“Think of them like a concept car at an auto show,” he said. “Some ideas.”